Earthquake strikes off coast of El Salvador and Nicaragua

SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – A magnitude-7.3 earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador and Nicaragua late on Monday and was felt across Central America, killing at least one person.

There were no immediate reports of major damage. El Salvador’s emergency services said a dozen homes in the department of Usulutan had been slightly damaged but that coastal areas appeared calm and the country’s international airport was unaffected.

Wilfredo Salgado, mayor of the city of San Miguel in El Salvador, tweeted to say that a man was killed when an electricity post fell on him. “It felt really powerful, suddenly the whole house started to move,” said Xiomara Amaya, 30, who lives in Usulutan.

The quake struck 42 miles (67km) west-southwest of Jiquilillo in Nicaragua and 174km south-east of San Salvador, the US Geological Survey said. The quake hit at a depth of about 25 miles (40km).

Emergency services in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama said they had no early reports of damage or injuries.

Nicaragua’s presidential spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, urged coastal residents to seek out higher land in case of a tsunami.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned of possible tsunamis but then said there was no threat.

In 2001, two powerful earthquakes a month apart killed more than 1,150 people between them, and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Two years ago, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the Pacific off El Salvador, triggering a brief tsunami warning but causing no major damage or casualties.